I used to love social media. I’ve even learned to love Twitter a little but now, I just can’t. The political shit I can deal with but what I CAN NOT STAND is all the average Americans spewing what they “know” Donald Trump is going to do to our country and world. In preparation for this piece I did a little research and actually found a letter from a special needs parent warning that Trump was coming for the disabled population just as Hitler did. “Hide them! Hide them now before the cleansing begins!” How fucking irresponsible can you be? Where the hell is that even coming from? I hate the man as much as the next person but if he ever gave a speech saying, “Vote for me and I promise I’ll rid the country of those pesky disabled people!” I definitely missed it. Ever since Trump took office everybody knows everything. Everyone has a crystal ball, staring into it seeing exactly what they want to see then writing about it because they just “know.” Well I’m sorry you all missed the email but: You. Don’t. Know. Shit. The future can’t be seen nor determined.
I’m not arrogant enough to tell you I “know” what Betsy DeVos is going to do to our public education system but I can tell you what she has planned for it: destruction. It pains me to say this, but I actually admire her a little. She’s unabashed in her beliefs and makes no apology for them. She’s in your face saying, “Public education is a disgrace in this country. Even if it could be fixed, which it can’t, it would cost too much.” Remember folks, our country is being run like a business now. “So I’ll be making no attempt whatsoever to repair the current system. I’m going to destroy it and build something new, something that will actually work.” She’s got balls. If she wasn’t poised to destroy my son’s educational career I might actually like her.
Here’s her plan in a nutshell: she’s going to syphon money from the public school system to support charter schools and offer vouchers to people who want religious education. In the next few years you are going to see new charter schools and religious institutions popping up everywhere, especially in the inner cities. The parents of “perfect” children are going to have more options about where their child is educated. The quality of public school education will decline as the quality of private education increases. And she’ll be able to prove it! Unlike the charter and religious schools (who will be beholden to no one) the public schools will still be subject to the common core standards and standardized testing and since the majority of the population will be special needs children and the children of parents who couldn’t be bothered to move their kid those test scores will be abysmal. She’ll be in the perfect position to say, “Why look at these scores! It’s awful isn’t it? I told you public education doesn’t work. You should really take advantage of the school choice you’ve been extended by yours truly. You don’t want your child languishing in one of those horrid public schools.” She’s a cold hearted bitch but she’s a genius. In a very short time, if she gets her way, the majority of “perfect” children will be enrolled in a charter or religious school and public education will cease to exist for anyone except
1. The disabled population
2. Children who were expelled from their private school
3. The children of parents who don’t care about their child’s education
So what can someone like myself do about this injustice???????????????? Nothing. I’m fucked, pure and simple. The ADA ensures my son will receive a free and appropriate education complete with all the services outlined in his IEP but he will be cut off from the regularly developing children who have taught him ALL his social skills and filled his life with joy and friendship. They will trickle away one by one and as they head off to their new schools Kevin will ask me, “I go too?”
How do I feel about this? I found out she’d been confirmed during my PREP today at school and I started to cry but got myself together quickly. “You don’t get to do this now Rachel. The kids will be back in 15 minutes and they’re counting on you. You promised them penguins. All they’ve talked about all day is the penguin documentary and you have to be excited. They’re excited to learn about penguins and you don’t get to do this now BUCK UP!!!!!!!!!!” So I did. They came back from computers literally foaming at the mouth over the penguin documentary I’d promised and I told them: “OK guys I need to prepare you for something. In the documentary the penguins have to make their way through a heard of sea lions and a few of them don’t make it. They get eaten. There’s no blood or guts or anything but I just want to prepare you in advance that not everybody makes it to the end. If you’re not OK with that you don’t have to watch because I don’t want anybody to be upset.”
“NO, NO, we wanna watch, it’s OK, turn it on, turn on penguins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
So we watched the penguin documentary. You think you have it rough? Thank GOD you’re not a Humboldt penguin. To get to their nesting ground, these poor birds have to walk through 20,000 hungry sea lions all hell bent on eating them. It’s every man for himself… only not. These penguins approach the pack of sea lions and work as a team to confuse them so that the majority of the pack can make their way through the maze. If you’re slow, confused, or new to the game you fall behind and get eaten. This is necessary for the elite to make their way through and mate. The penguins who fall behind, the ones being eaten, are a necessary distraction for the others to make their way through. By the time the race is over only the strongest, smartest, craftiest penguins have made it to the end. The director of this documentary really gets you though. This one penguin, furiously trying to keep up, was inches from the clearing when he was snatched up by a sea lion. He was so close.
The class got it. It’s nature. Nothing personal. Gotta trim the fat. Survival of the fittest, all except Braylynn. Poor Braylynn was hysterical. I told the class to pack up and behave while I took poor BK (that’s what I call her) out into the hall for consolation.
Braylynn: They left him behind
Me: Oh honey.
Braylynn: They just left him Mrs. Ulriksen. They saw he was falling behind and they knew what was gonna happen and they just let him fall farther and farther behind!
Me: I know honey I’m sorry
Braylynn: Why did they do that?!
Me: They were doing what was best for them, honey. What was best for the pack.
Braylynn: How is that best for the pack?!! Letting penquins fall behind. They could have let him in on the trick, they could have gone back for him! Those penguins in the front they were so smart and fast they could have found a way! They just let him go Mrs. Ulriksen, they didn’t even look back!”
Me: Sweetheart, these are birds, this is nature, they’re just thinking about what’s best for THEM. They’re just trying to survive they don’t have time to think about other penguins.
Braylynn: But they started out together Mrs. Ulriksen. They were together. They all wanted the same thing and they let that poor bird just go because he was slow it wasn’t his fault he tried his best!
Me: He did try his best. It wasn’t fair.
Braylynn: They just fought to get to the front Mrs. Ulriksen they just fought to get through and they forgot about all the penguins that couldn’t keep up like they didn’t matter! Like they were just there to make sure the “right” penguins made it out, it’s so cruel!
Me: Braylynn nature is cruel. Nature means survival of the fittest. A penguin must do what he must to make sure the finest of his species survives. Somebody has to get through the maze.
Braylynn: But what good is it if you make it to the end and you’re first but you let all those penguins fall behind? How can you be happy about making it when all those other penguins didn’t?
And now I’m sobbing uncontrollably alongside her
Me: I don’t know sweetheart. I honestly don’t know. Something happened today. Something bad. Today I’m not one of the penguins who made it out. I fell behind like the others. The sea lions have got me honey. I’m one of the ones who watched the faster ones escape.
Braylynn: No you’re not Mrs. Ulriksen. I’d come back for you. I wouldn’t let the sea lions get you, even if it meant they’d get me too. It’s not worth that just to get to the front.
And now we’re holding each other wiping each other’s tears.
Me: Braylynn you are the most beautiful girl. I’m so lucky to have you. Please, please grow up to be just this way. Someone who thinks this way. The world is starving right now for people to see it as you do. You’re right. It’s not worth getting to the front when so many people get left behind. Please promise me when you’re all grown up you’ll still believe that?
Braylynn: I promise. I don’ want a world where penguins leave other penguins behind just because it’s what’s best for the best to make it through to the end.
I have refrained from making any blanket statements about my fellow citizens who voted for Trump but today, today I can’t keep silent.
Dear Everyone Who Voted For Donald Trump,
Think about Kevin. Remember every second you spent looking at me and Kevin and every time you said those kind and understanding words when you knew just how hard it is for us. And every time you did that I want you think about how worried you probably felt. Not for me. No. For you and your child who might have to go to school with mine, who pisses on the cereal in Shoprite. Well, guess what? You don’t have to worry about that anymore. Because the “blow it all up” mentality that you voted for has installed someone who sees my child as expendable, even if he does make your child more kind and understanding. You really won’t have to deal with me anymore. Except when we run into each other at Shoprite. And then, maybe, you will look at us and feel a twinge of guilt at what you’ve done.
We’re 11 days in. First it was the Muslims, now it’s the disabled population. Who is next I wonder? Who else in this world doesn’t matter?
We’re 11 days in. First it was the Muslims, now it’s the disabled population. Who is next I wonder? Who else in this world doesn’t matter?
